Re: Localization Structure Model

[Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>]

Bill Schroeder wrote:

> > Do you do translations? I do, and my opinion is that text files are
> > _way_ easier. Just a couple of reasons:
>
> no, i don't do translations.  however, i just seemed to me that teaching you 
> average translator (your average translator isn't a computer person) to copy 
> text to their favorite editor and paste the translation back to their into a 
> form field is a heck of alot easier than teaching them to use cvs.

I think that assuming that "the average translator" shouldn't be a 
computer person is a big mistake. At least that's not true in the GNOME 
project (and as far as I know, not in translation businesses either).
An analogy would be the assumption that a software QA person isn't a 
computer person just because his main duty isn't actual programming, an 
assumption that of course also seldom is true.

In my experience, people translating software tend to be "computer 
persons", albeit with a linguistic preference or an interest in their 
mother tongue (or interest in localization issues), rather than some 
person with linguistic interests ending up doing technical work.

And as all GNOME translators have to learn to use cvs to translate 
software anyway, I think that is not an important argument. Rather than 
"having to teach them" it is more a question of letting the 40 existing 
teams of language translators use the tool they're used to and 
comfortable with and have already spent time learning.

Those new to the translating process need, as always, only contact one 
in their respective language team to have them commit their work for them.


> > * Translations can be used and updated from gnome cvs (with
> >    all advantages of cvs like versioning)
>
> versioning is a simple thing to implement with a db and we seem to have alot 
> of db experience with a variety of databases on this list.

Can't argue with that, but why re-invent the wheel?


> > * Existing gettext tools can be used (if that solution
> >    is chosen)
> > * Just a simple text editor is enough to do translations
> >    (or would YOU like to be forced to do your coding in a
> >    form field in a browser all the time?)
>
> no, i wouldn't do programing in a browser at all.  i learned a long time ago 
> that copy, edit, paste is a much simpler solution.  it has all the same steps 
> as downloading the current version from cvs, edit, sync to cvs... 

And using an ordinary text editor of choice is even simpler.
Besides, I don't trust copy/paste of browsers; Netscape (and Mozilla 
too) have historically been notoriously buggy in that respect.


Christian



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Christian Rose
http://www.menthos.com                    	    menthos menthos com
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